Dreamy Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Prepare to fill the kitchen with the most comforting, sweet aroma imaginable. This recipe guides beginners through preparing individual Sticky Toffee Puddings, a truly beloved dessert known for its incredibly moist date sponge cake drenched in a rich, warm toffee sauce. The combination is pure bliss, especially when crowned with a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream, just like in the photograph. Mastering this classic offers immense satisfaction and a wonderfully decadent treat perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

• For the Pudding:
  • 🍚 175g Pitted Dates, roughly chopped
  • 💧 175ml Boiling Water
  • 🥄 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 🧈 50g Unsalted Butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 🟤 150g Dark Brown Sugar
  • 🥚 2 Medium Eggs, beaten
  • 🍚 175g Self-Raising Flour, sifted
  • 🍦 ½ tsp Halal Vanilla Extract
• For the Toffee Sauce:
  • 🧈 75g Unsalted Butter
  • 🟤 125g Dark Brown Sugar
  • 🥛 150ml Double Cream
  • 🍦 ½ tsp Halal Vanilla Extract

Equipment

• 🔪 Chopping Board & Knife
• 🥣 Medium Saucepan (for dates)
• 🥣 Small Saucepan (for sauce)
• 🥣 Large Mixing Bowl
• 🥣 Smaller Mixing Bowl
• 🥄 Wooden Spoon or Spatula
• 🌪️ Electric Hand Mixer (optional, but helpful)
• ⚖️ Kitchen Scales
• 🥄 Measuring Spoons
• 🥛 Measuring Jug
• 🍮 6 Individual Pudding Basins (approx. 150-175ml capacity) or a standard Muffin Tin (makes slightly more smaller puddings)
• 📄 Baking Parchment (optional, for lining)
• 🥅 Sieve
• 🍢 Skewer or Toothpick (for testing doneness)
• 🧤 Oven Mitts

Instructions

1. Prepare the Dates: Place the chopped dates in the medium saucepan. Pour the boiling water over them and add the bicarbonate of soda. Give it a quick stir – the bicarbonate of soda helps to soften the dates. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes to cool slightly and allow the dates to soften further.
2. Preheat & Prepare Basins: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Generously grease the inside of the individual pudding basins or muffin tin cups with butter. For extra ease, a small circle of baking parchment can be placed at the bottom of each basin. Place the prepared basins on a baking tray.
3. Start the Pudding Batter: In the large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and dark brown sugar. Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon and some effort, beat the mixture together until it becomes lighter in colour and has a somewhat fluffy texture. This process is called ‘creaming’.
4. Incorporate the Eggs: Gradually add the beaten eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it might curdle (separate), add a tablespoon of the sifted flour with the last bit of egg. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Combine Wet and Dry: Gently fold the sifted self-raising flour into the wet mixture using a spatula or large metal spoon. To ‘fold’, cut down through the middle of the mixture with the spatula, sweep it around the bottom and up the side of the bowl, turning the bowl slightly as needed. Continue just until the flour is incorporated – do not overmix, as this can make the pudding tough.
6. Add the Dates: Pour the softened date mixture (including the liquid) into the batter. Gently fold again until everything is just combined. The batter will be relatively wet.
7. Fill the Basins: Carefully divide the pudding batter evenly among the prepared basins or muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
8. Bake the Puddings: Place the baking tray with the puddings into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes (individual basins) or 15-20 minutes (muffin tin). The puddings are ready when they are well-risen, firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. They should have a lovely deep brown colour, similar to the rich hue seen in the picture.
9. Prepare the Toffee Sauce: While the puddings are baking, make the sauce. Combine the butter, dark brown sugar, double cream, and vanilla extract in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved completely.
10. Simmer the Sauce: Increase the heat slightly and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and becomes a luscious, flowing toffee sauce, just like the glossy drizzle shown in the image. Be careful, as the sauce will be very hot. Remove from the heat.
11. Serve: Once the puddings are baked, carefully remove them from the oven using oven mitts. Let them stand in their basins for a minute or two. Then, run a knife around the edge of each pudding and carefully invert them onto serving plates, revealing the dark, moist pudding. Generously spoon the warm toffee sauce over the top of each pudding, letting it drip enticingly down the sides as shown in the image.

Serving Suggestions

These Sticky Toffee Puddings are absolutely divine served warm. The classic accompaniment, as seen in the photograph, is a generous scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream, which melts beautifully into the warm sauce. Alternatively, serve them with warm custard or a drizzle of extra double cream.

Sharing these warm, fragrant puddings offers a moment of pure comfort and delight, a testament to the simple joy found in baking something truly delicious from scratch. The rich flavours and textures are sure to bring smiles to faces.